World Cup Day 6: The Stars Have Arrived
The first five days of the World Cup have belonged to the underdogs.
Wow.
Cape Verde held Spain scoreless in one of the biggest upsets in recent history. Egypt frustrated Belgium. Saudi Arabia took points off Uruguay. The tournament favorites have looked a little uneasy, as if the pressure of this stage weighs just as much on them as it does on the underdogs trying to make history.
Now, though, the stars arrive.
Kylian Mbappé makes his World Cup debut of 2026 with France. Erling Haaland finally gets his first taste of football’s biggest stage. Lionel Messi begins what many expect to be his final World Cup campaign.
That’s a ridiculous sentence to type, by the way.
I’ve spent most of this tournament writing about dark horses, surprise results, and teams trying to announce themselves. Day 6 feels different. It feels like the World Cup finally putting its biggest names on center stage and asking if they can live up to the hype.
Because if the first week has taught us anything, it’s that status doesn’t score goals.
The Favorites Face a Dangerous Opener
France arrives in New York carrying the kind of expectations that only a handful of countries ever experience.
Anything less than a finals run would be considered disappointing. The squad is stacked at nearly every position: Ballon d’Or winner Ousemane Dembélé, the face of world football, Kylian Mbappé, and Bayern superstar Michael Olise. Didier Deschamps has the experience to contain the chaos that comes with a month-long tournament.
But Senegal isn’t just another opening opponent.
The (sort of?) reigning African champions have spent the last decade proving they belong among the world’s elite. Their athleticism and defensive organization make them one of the most difficult teams to break down, and they know exactly what it feels like to shock France on the World Cup stage. In 2002, Senegal defeated the defending champions 1–0 in one of the greatest upsets in tournament history.
Twenty-four years later, they’re chasing another statement.
I don’t think France will overlook them. After watching Spain, Belgium, and Uruguay stumble yesterday, nobody is taking anyone lightly anymore.
Player to Watch: Kylian Mbappé
At 27, Mbappé is in an interesting place.
He’s no longer the teenager who burst onto the scene in Russia or the young superstar chasing greatness in Qatar. He’s already won the World Cup. He’s already scored a hat-trick in a final. He’s already established himself as one of the greatest players of his generation.
Now the expectation is different. France isn’t asking Mbappé to become a superstar. They’re asking him to lead them to another title.
That’s a much heavier responsibility.
Prediction: France 2–1 Senegal.
Senegal is too talented to roll over, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes one of the most entertaining matches of the group stage.
Still, France has more match winners, more depth, and arguably the best player in the world. That usually matters.
Haaland Finally Gets His Chance
For most casual fans, this is the Erling Haaland game. For me, it’s something more.
Norway hasn’t played in a World Cup since 1998. Iraq hasn’t appeared since 1986. Both countries arrive carrying decades of waiting and generations of supporters who never thought they’d see this moment.
That’s part of what makes the World Cup special. Not every story is about winning the trophy. Sometimes, it’s just about finally getting your chance.
Norway enters with one of the most exciting attacks in the tournament. Haaland is one of football’s great goal scorers, while Martin Ødegaard provides creativity and composure in midfield. The expectation is to advance.
Iraq doesn’t care about expectations. They’ve spent forty years waiting to get back here.
They’re going to enjoy every second of it.
Player to Watch: Erling Haaland
It still feels strange that Haaland has never played in a World Cup.
He’s dominated club football for years. He’s broken scoring records. He’s become one of the sport’s biggest stars. And yet we’ve never seen him on this stage. Until now.
Some players grow into the World Cup. I have a feeling Haaland is going to attack it immediately.
Prediction: Norway 3-1 Iraq
Iraq will make this competitive, and I think they’ll have moments. But Haaland’s debut feels like one of those events that ends exactly the way people imagine it. With goals.
The Defending Champions Begin Again
Lionel Messi will walk out for another World Cup match. That still feels ridiculous.
Argentina enters as the defending world champion, but this team feels different from past Argentina sides. The pressure is still there, obviously, but it is no longer the desperate pressure of trying to help Messi finally win the one trophy missing from his career. That part is done.
Now Argentina is chasing something even harder: doing it again.
Algeria will not make that easy. They return to the World Cup for the first time since 2014 and bring enough pace and physicality to make the match uncomfortable if Argentina starts slowly. The longer Algeria keeps it scoreless, the more interesting this becomes.
But the story is Messi. It almost always is.
Player to Watch: Lionel Messi
Messi does not have anything left to prove. The trophies are won. The moments are secured. The legacy is already written.
That is what makes this stage of his career so interesting. Every World Cup appearance now feels like a bonus, and every touch feels like something people will want to remember.
If this is his final World Cup, it deserves to be watched that way.
Prediction: Argentina 3-0 Algeria.
Argentina has too much quality, too much chemistry, and too much experience. Messi creates. Julián Álvarez scores.
The defending champions begin their title defense with three points. At least, that’s what I think.
This tournament has already humbled people smarter than me.
A Return Meets a Debut
Austria and Jordan close Day 6 late at night, and the matchup has one of the better contrast of styles on the schedule. Austria is back at the World Cup for the first time since 1998. Jordan is here for the first time ever.
That alone makes it worth watching.
Austria enters as the favorite under Ralf Rangnick, whose teams are usually aggressive, direct and difficult to play against. They press, they run, and they force opponents into uncomfortable decisions. The concern is the absence of Christoph Baumgartner, but Austria still has enough structure and midfield quality to control this game.
Jordan’s story is history. Captain Ehsan Haddad said the team feels pride, not pressure, and that feels like the right mindset for a debutant. Jordan has shown it can be dangerous in transition, and Mousa Al Tamari gives them a real attacking outlet.
Austria should win.
But if this week has taught us anything, it is that the teams making their first World Cup memories are not showing up quietly.
Player to Watch: Mousa Al Tamari
If Jordan wants to make Austria uncomfortable, Al Tamari has to be involved.
He is Jordan’s best attacking player and the one who can turn defensive stretches into real counterattacking chances. Against an Austria team that wants to press high, those moments matter.
Jordan may not have many chances. Al Tamari has to make them count.
Prediction: Austria 2-0 Jordan.
Jordan will make this emotional and competitive, especially early, but Austria’s press and experience should eventually take over. I think Austria gets the win, but Jordan leaves with enough moments to feel like it belongs.
Mbappé, Haaland and Messi will get most of the attention, but this World Cup has already shown that names alone do not decide matches. France, Norway, Argentina and Austria should all feel confident.
They should also feel warned.